Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-08-19
LFrom the Atlanta ConstItutIOn. ]

From the Atlanta constitutional
MACON, GA, August 6.--Ihis
morning the city was electrified by
the arrival of a negro man named
Sanford, from the farm of Captain
Richard f. Voolfolk, bearing let
ter addressed to "the public at
large,7 stating that Capt. Voolfolk
and his entire family had been
murdered at their home, twelve
and a half miles from Macon.
So soon as heard the report, |
started with Capt. w. A. Dayis to
the scene of the tragedy. We
drove out on the ThOmastOn road
/ twelve miles, then a round to the
left through lane, and approached
the fine old country home OF the
Woolfolks. The house is of old
fashioned Southern build, seated
on an eminence overlooking the
spreading fields of the plantation
The approach is through a grove OF
ancient oaks, that seemed to droop
their branches in a solemn hush in
sympathy with the dreadful tragedy
that had been enacted within. The
grove was filled with horses and
vehicles of every description, but
the crowds that lowered about the
mansion spoke with bated breath
in the presence Of
THE HORRIBLE DEATH FIEND
that had left such a bloody wreck
behind. The hOase Is nearly
square, with five rooms, a long pi-
azza in front, and an ample hall
way running between the four main
rooms.
Within those rooms lay an entire
family, save one, welterlng in their
blood-the murderer, who was
closely guarded in a vacant room.
We entered the house, and with
bowed heads, we were conducted
into the bloody chamber of death.
The house faces eastward, and the
first front room on the south side
showed 10 signs, at casual glance,
of the CHASTITY scene to which our
startled eyes were soon to become
accustomed. This room was Occu.
pied by the boys, and the room adj
Joining, toward the southwest, was
the sleeping.roOm of Captain and
Mrs. Voolfolk and the younger
child. Opening the door, we be-
held a scene that the stoutest- heart
ed among us will not forget till his
dying day. On the bed lay Cap
tain Voolfolk, next to the wall, his
features and limbs naturally CON-
posed, but with the whole corner
of his head burst in and the
BRAINS SCATTERED ON THE BED,
floor, and walls. He had been
struck just over the left ear with
the eye of an axe, in the left eye
with the same part of the axe, and
on the forehead in the same man.
ner. He looked as if he never
moved, even IN the wild agony of
the death struggle. On the same
bed, with her form doubled up on
that of her dead husband, lay Mrs.
Matte Voolfolk, his wife, with her
long hair all dabbled in blood
She looked as though she had been
stricken in the act of rising and
Just fell dead on the body Of her
husband she sought to shield from
the murderOus blow. She had been
stricken down with a single blow
that was delivered on the back of
her head with the eye of the axe.
But the cruelest sight of all were
the bodies of young lady and a
little babe lying dead by their par
ents, who loved them so fondly.
Miss Pearl Voolfolk, young girl
of seventeen, had apparently been
thrown across tue bed after her
poor young soul had taken Its
flight.
Indications point to the fact that
she had run from her room opposite,
across the hallway, and just at the
door of her mothers room had en-
countered the bloody fend who was
dealing death with such a fatal
hand. A large pool OF blood on
the floor in the hall and crimson
spatterings on the wall told the
tale. Her head, with its blood
matted crown of silken hair, rested
on the bodies of her parents and
} her feet hung off the foot of the
bed, almost touching
THE SEA OF BLOOD,
that was rapidly coagulatlng on thu
floor of the large room. Her face
bore a look of angelic serenity
She had been dealt one blow, crush
ing IN the lett ear; another crush
ing in the left eye +; another on th'
, left side of her face; another slight
or blow on the right side Of he
, forehead, and another still crush
ing in the back of the skull, al
done with the poll of the axe.
By the side Of her mutilate'
father, and almost IN the cold EN-
! brace OF its poor dead mother la